Funder: Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Due Dates: December 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. CT (Application)
Funding Amounts: Approximately 32 awards of an estimated $150,000 each, ending January 15, 2029
Summary: Supports innovative Texas nursing education, recruitment, and retention projects addressing shortages of registered nurses and qualified nursing faculty.
Key Information: Programs must have Texas Board of Nursing initial or full approval; Conditional Approval programs are ineligible.
Description
Administered by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), this program supports institutions addressing Texas’s shortage of registered nurses and qualified nursing faculty. The 2027–2029 competition funds new projects or expansions of existing programs that promote and evaluate innovation in education, recruitment, or retention. Its focus includes preparing students for initial RN licensure and preparing qualified faculty with master’s or doctoral degrees to teach in initial RN licensure programs.
Established by the Texas Legislature in 1999, the program draws on a permanent fund created with Texas Tobacco Lawsuit Settlement proceeds and state appropriations. Funded projects are intended to strengthen the state’s nursing workforce pipeline and may identify promising practices that can be shared more broadly with nursing educators.
